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Biography

Kvyat’s first F1 outing came in July of that year when he drove for Toro Rosso at the young driver test at Silverstone. Despite completing just 22 laps, the Italian-based team were sufficiently impressed by his pace and technical feedback to sign him for a race drive in 2014, giving him practice outings at the final two 2013 Grands Prix in preparation.

There were those who questioned whether he was ready for the step-up, a concern that only intensified after Toro Rosso struggled during pre-season testing. Kvyat’s response was typically emphatic. Eighth on the grid in the Australian season opener became ninth at the flag, making Kvyat the youngest points scorer in F1 history. His form didn’t dip either: he scored points in three of the first four races and often overshadowed his more experienced team mate Jean-Eric Vergne.

Red Bull had asked a lot of the Russian, but he had delivered in style - and when Sebastian Vettel announced his departure to Ferrari, the team didn’t hesitate in promoting Kvyat. The pressure to deliver will be higher than ever in 2015 - but Kvyat, despite his precocious age, is already making a habit of surpassing expectations...